Malo Gusto is reportedly weighing up a departure from Chelsea over concerns about a lack of playing time. Gusto is behind Pedro Neto and Marco Palestra at right wing-back, while Reece James can also play there when he returns from injury.

Given that Gusto is not a key player, and his form has regressed after a promising start at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea should consider selling him. In keeping with Xabi Alonso’s new recruitment strategy of signing experienced players rather than exciting prospects, one Tottenham star would be the ideal replacement.

Pedro Porro could emerge as a Chelsea option after ‘losing faith’ in Tottenham

Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro reportedly wants out of the North London club despite signing a new contract this summer. According to Football Insider, the 2026 World Cup winner has “quickly lost faith” in Roberto De Zerbi’s project after Spurs’ miserable start to the 2026/27 season.

The report added: “Sources say that the defender is keen to play at the highest possible level and compete for honours, something he no longer feels is achievable with Spurs.” It is confusing that he ever felt that was possible after Spurs’ two consecutive 17th-place finishes, but Porro appears to have already changed his mind.

TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey has reported that Porro would “jump” at the opportunity to join La Liga giants Barcelona or Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Spurs would demand a £75 million offer to sell the Spaniard, which would make him the most expensive right-back ever, ahead of PSG’s Achraf Hakimi.

It is unclear whether Porro would be interested in a Premier League move, but one thing is certain: Chelsea are in a better position to compete for titles than Spurs. Here is why the Blues should make Porro their priority signing to replace Malo Gusto.

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Tonal effects have been applied to this image) Pedro Neto of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Everton and Chelsea FC at Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Liverpool, England.

Why Pedro Porro would be an upgrade on Malo Gusto at Chelsea

Pedro Porro ticks several boxes for Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea. Firstly, the 27-year-old is in the prime of his career and would bring significant experience and leadership to Chelsea’s relatively young backline. He would also require no time to adjust to the demands of the Premier League, having spent the last three years at Tottenham.

Porro is also perfectly suited to Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-3 system, where the right wing-back links up with the exciting front three of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. The 27-year-old has the pace and attacking prowess to deliver similar returns to Pedro Neto, who has excelled in that role.

Porro contributed six goals and 16 assists across the last three Premier League campaigns while playing as a conventional full-back. One can only assume he would deliver even better numbers if given the licence to get forward more as a wing-back.

Several other metrics also suggest Porro would be a significant upgrade on Malo Gusto. Porro created twice as many big chances and recorded a much higher expected assist (xA) tally in the Premier League last season. He also completed more than four times as many crosses as Gusto and recorded more successful dribbles overall.

Defensively, the Spaniard made more tackles and clearances than Gusto and won more aerial and ground duels. Given that he was playing in an underperforming Spurs side, Porro deserves even more credit for his all-round statistical output than his French counterpart.

The only sticking point for Chelsea would likely be the £75 million fee Spurs want for Porro. However, provided they qualify for the Champions League, the Blues should have a sizeable budget to improve the squad in two or three key areas.